3 die, 11 hurt as bus-train collide

At least three people were killed and 11 more injured as a bus collided head-on with a mail train at Fatehpur level crossing on Dhaka-Chattogram Highway in Feni around 5:45am yesterday.

According to police, some of the injured were in critical condition whereas some were discharged from local hospitals after providing them with primary treatment.

One of the deceased was identified as Saddam Hossain, 29, of Cumilla's Sadar Dakshin upazila, whereas rest of the two could not be identified immediately, said police.

A five-member probe committee, headed by Snehashish Das Gupta, divisional transportation officer (Chattogram) of Bangladesh Railways, was also formed to investigate the incident, confirmed Feni Railway Station Master Mahbubur Rahman.

The station master also claimed that the accident happened for broken crossing bars on the level crossing.

The bodies were kept at Feni 250-bed District Sadar Hospital morgue after autopsies, said Sub-inspector Saiful Islam of Feni Railway Police.

The injured are Monirul, 20, of Rajshahi; Faruk Hossain, 20, Belal, 55, Sajol, 22, Ariful Islam, 35, Ashik, 17 of Natore; Rubel, 30, of Chapainawabganj; Dulal, 50, of Feni's Sonagazi; Ajharul Islam, 22, of Kishoregonj; Randukhan, 24, of Pabna; and Abdul Kuddus, of Cumilla's Chauddogram, said police.

According to locals, they rushed to the accident spot hearing a bang near the level crossing. Seeing the situation, they immediately started conducting a rescue operation.

After some time, members of district police, railway police and fire service joined them and continued.

All the injured were sent to local hospitals one by one but two people died on the spot, they said.